Short Reviews [Syndone - 2018 - "Mysoginia"]

Italian progressive rock band Syndone (“Shroud”) was formed by keyboard player Nico (Nik) Comoglio in the early Nineties, and they released a couple of albums before he decided to go off and pursue other avenues. But he formed a new version of the band to release ‘Melapesante’ in 2010 and since then the band has released a new album every two years, of which ‘Mysoginia’ is the latest, being released in 2018. Here is a band very much in the classic Italian model, with plenty of keyboards (they do actually have a second keyboard player in the band which is somewhat unusual), songs sung in Italian (although somewhat controversially there one performed in English), plus loads of dynamics and theatricality. At times this feels almost operatic, at others far more theatrical as if it is being performed either on a stage or as a backdrop/soundtrack to something far more visual (shades of Goblin perhaps). Singer Riccardo Ruggeri pours his very soul into his performance, and it does feel much more like a performance than just a singer behind a microphone. The drama is palpable, the intensity of it all being far more than just another album. These guys are baring themselves to the public, while also performing classical symphonic progressive rock. That they also use both a choir and symphony orchestra feels both right and almost expected in the way the music is performed. It does feel very dated indeed, which is often the case with this style of progressive rock in that it is almost always the total reverse, but there is plenty here to enjoy. This is the first time I have come across the band and look forward to discovering some of their earlier works as well, if this is anything to go by.